Recommended for: Community Volunteering

Living costs: £

Peak season: December to March

UK government travel advice: India

Visa requirements (for UK citizens): 30-day e-visa

India is a long-time traveller’s favourite, but it’s making headlines for a variety of different reasons lately. The gender gap continues to be a big issue, particularly in rural India, as does poverty, inequality and corruption.

Over the past decade, a series of violent attacks against have raised international awareness of gender inequality in India. In 2012, Jyoti Singh was horrifically raped and murdered in her home city of Delhi. In 2014, approximately 349 people, mostly women, had acid thrown on them in India – and this type of attack is thought to be on the rise. It’s often used by men to destroy the lives of girls and women who have refused them.

Women’s empowerment groups have made significant progress in the country in recent years, but there’s much work still to be done. Volunteers are urgently needed to help further development in girls’ education and women’s healthcare among many other areas.

As for tourist sites to visit in India, there are far too many to cover. Often described as 100 countries in one, India is one of the most diverse places on the planet. The Golden Temple of Amritsar, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the bustling streets of Mumbai and the serene river Ganges are just some of the most popular sites.